We have finally completed Caddie Woodlawn. The only reason this book took us awhile to read was because we got very distracted this summer! This is my all time FAVORITE children's story and I bet if I asked Gabriel and Annalina they would say the same. Ross enjoys it very much too! Caddie Woodlawn is a TRUE story of a little girl growing up during the Civil War in Wisconsin. It's about country life, hard work, kindness, love, and integrity.
What I LOVE about this book is the TRUE CHILDHOOD these kids had. They used there imaginations and energy to propel their play. I also like the REAL relationship of the siblings which is full of love but also lessons and fights. This book is FULL of absolutely hysterical stories of them growing up. The kids and I would just be in stitches laughing. This is NOT a "girl book" there is so much for girls and boys.
That being said I have to put in here some wisdom that is so lost in today's culture. The importance of a TRUE WOMAN. I have been so disheartened to see lately the forgotten importance of womanhood/motherhood and it's impact on our history and it's influence on our future. It is not just lost "in the world" but even in our churches. Many don't seem to understand what a woman/mother (especially those that love the Lord and desire to instruct and teach their children in the Bible) does with her time during a week and seems to be ignorant as to their importance AT HOME. I love this segment out of this book about the importance of being a woman/mother . . .
Then the door creaked a little on its hinges, there was a glimmer of candlelight, and Father came in. He went first and looked at Minnie and Hetty. He put a lock of hair back from Minnie's forehead and pulled the sheet up over Hetty's shoulder. Then he came and stood by Caddie's bed. She lay very still with tightly closed eyes so that Father should think her asleep. It had fooled Hetty, but Father knew more than most people did. He put the candle down and sat on the side of the bed and took one of Caddies's hot hands in his cool ones. Then he began to speak in his nice quiet voice, without asking her to wake up or open her eyes or look at him.
"Perhaps Mother was a little hast to-day, Caddie," he said. "She really loves you very much, and, you see, she expects more of you than she would of someone she didn't care about. It's a strange thing, but somehow we expect more of girls than of boys. It is the sisters and wives and mothers, y0u know, Caddie, who keep the world sweet and beautiful. What a rough world it would be if there were only men and boys in it, doing things in their rough way! A woman's task is to teach them gentleness and courtesy and love and kindness. It's a big task, too, Caddie--harder than cutting trees or building mills or damming rivers. It takes nerve and courage and patience, but good women have those things. They have them just as much as the men who build bridges and carve roads through the wilderness. A woman's work is something fine and noble to grow up to, and it is just as important as a man's. But no man could ever do it so well. I don't want you to be the silly, affected person with fine clothes and manners, who folks sometimes call a lady. No, that is not what I want for you, my little girl. I want you to be a woman with a wise and understanding heart, healthy in body and honest in mind. Do you think you would like to be growing up into that woman now? How about it, Caddie, have we run with the colts long enough?"
